Lower lifetime risk of keratitis following LASIK surgery

New research suggests opting for laser eye surgery over contact lenses lowers the chance of a patient developing microbial keratitis in the long-term.

A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgerycompared the incidence of the eye infection in contact lens wearers and patients following laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery.

The results revealed that the rate of microbial keratitis was higher in contact lens wearers over time compared to LASIK patients. Extended-wear contact lenses were associated with a particularly high risk of infection.

At five years of use, the risk of infection with extended-wear use was about 20 times the risk of daily use. The data also confirmed that the risk of sleeping in contact lenses was significantly higher than daily use.